Swinging your dumbbells – momentum vs. controlled motionUsing momentum to lift weights is a common mistake that’ll have you thinking that the weight exercise is so incredibly easy. Now slow it down to 2 counts while lifting and 4 counts while dropping. You’ll find that slower reps are tougher and tense your muscles a lot more. Simple talk? You’ll get better results. An even better technique is engaging your stomach by keeping it taut, then lifting while breathing out and dropping while breathing in long and deep.

Locking knees while lifting weights Perhaps the number one reason why many gym-goers complain of joint aches and continued workouts with few results. Locking your knees while weight lifting will stress your knees, and take the pressure off your muscles. Other than specific exercises that require locked knees for added strain to hamstrings or calves, you must always leave your knees slightly bent. The best posture for most weight training exercises is chest spread out, shoulders and back arched, legs apart to shoulder length, and knees slightly bent.

Failing to engage your core Ever wondered why that extremely toned person is taking more time with his crunches than you are. Notice his/her core. Is it taut or loose? Avoid this rookie mistake by tightening your core and synchronising it’s tightening and breathing (from the stomach) action with any weight training exercises.

Not going down to 90 degrees on squats This one isn't such a threat if your aim is to maintain low intensity workouts and are willing to wait a while for results. It might not be incorrect. But it's a waste of time. When you lower your body for squats, your knees must be at 90 degree angles, with your back straight, chest spread out and knees never crossing the tips of your toes. Any more than 90 degrees and you'll hurt your knees. Full range (more than 90 degrees) squats where you go all the way down, are best left for highly trained athletes, and even then their benefits are highly debatable.

Not increasing weights over time Weight training is like any other exercise where you need to continue increasing your performance to get better results. This won’t happen if you’ve been lifting weights for a year and are still pushing 20s. Be less concerned about completing a set of 15 reps. be more concerned with attacking new and heavier weights, the minute you find that you can complete a whole set without breaking into a sweat. A good strategy would be to increase weights every fortnight or month, after regular training. And by regular we mean – every day.

Not warming up Warming up is not an option. 7-10 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical, stationery bike, or skipping, spot-jogging or jumping jacks are crucial to your workouts. Follow up this warm up with a minute or two of deep stretching to loosen up your muscles and now you’re good to begin your weight training workout. An absence of warm ups with warm stretching can lead to frequent injuries (especially lower back) and regular muscle cramps.

Taking long breaks between setsOnce your body’s warmed up, taking long breaks in between sets will cool it down again. Before you know it, you’ll get up from texting or socialising, lift a dumbbell and pull your back. Long breaks make your weight training workouts less challenging and take the pressure off your muscles to contract and release within a testing period. Avoid long breaks and stick to 30-45 second breaks, depending on your fitness levels.

Zero cool downThe cool down phase with any workout, especially a high intensity workout, is crucial to allow your heart rate and breathing to settle down. Stretching at this stage is imperative, as your muscles are warm enough for stretches and you’re relaxing them with some lengthening movements. Focus on deep breathing and relaxing every part of your body for at least 3-5 minutes. Once cooled down, you’ll feel energised, awake and full of life.

Not re-hydratingIt’s easy to get dehydrated while working out, and it’s important to continue replenishing your body with water or other high-performance fluids, if your activity needs them. An average weight trainer can take a couple of sips after each 3-5 minutes of heavy activity. This becomes even more important with outdoor workouts, especially sports-based workouts.